Here in the Twin Cities, I have yet to find the Sony XDR-S3HD for $63 (which would be a nice price for a table top version). I found a floor model at one Best Buy (the last one for $179), and a few at another (one return). I guess it takes some patience (and not just balling up the antenna and throwing it on the floor) and time to set up HD Radio.
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Sony HD Radio at Best Buy
- Thread starter Chuck
- Start date
Mike Walker said:
10 years?
20 years old?
Just more deception.
I understand the "new HD radio chips that are coming" were demonstrated at the NAB show and failed to show much improvement, extending battery life to an unacceptable maximum of 2 hours, and providing little improvement in reception.
HD radio, RIP.
10 years?
20 years old?
Just more deception.
I understand the "new HD radio chips that are coming" were demonstrated at the NAB show and failed to show much improvement, extending battery life to an unacceptable maximum of 2 hours, and providing little improvement in reception.
HD radio, RIP.
L
LinoNYC
Guest
SUPERCASTER said:
"I understand" -Oxymoron (this case)
Would care to cite credible source?
At any rate using ipod integration as metric of iboc success is a lost cause, that audience ain't there no-mo.
Lino
How long did it take the (initially) highly-regarded Sony XDR-S3HD to skid from being a feature item to "clearance" and "closeout" status? What, six months?
I have never seen the radio on display where there wasn't an obvious "return" or "open-box" available. In some cases that was the only unit in the store. Other posters here are observing the same. This is a glaringly bad sign.
Obviously consumers aren't impressed with the field performance of HD Radio if a better-quality unit such as Sony's doesn't sell and stay sold. And you can bet, given the return rates, they won't be stocking more units any time soon.
I have never seen the radio on display where there wasn't an obvious "return" or "open-box" available. In some cases that was the only unit in the store. Other posters here are observing the same. This is a glaringly bad sign.
Obviously consumers aren't impressed with the field performance of HD Radio if a better-quality unit such as Sony's doesn't sell and stay sold. And you can bet, given the return rates, they won't be stocking more units any time soon.
Savage said:
Mr. Savage is correct... The Sony HD table radio met its demise in RECORD TIME—a bit past just SIX MONTHS—with NO “replacement” planned! Consider that Sony STILL sells AM stereo radios, but they are “blowing-out” HD! What does that say?
hipporadio said:
Says to me....
1. average listeners will not likely to trouble themselves to find the stations between the stations any more than they will try out shortwave.
(or be able to ). This is no different from people who would slam on the brakes and hit something in the road rather than turn the wheel,
BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO EXPERIENCE IN TURNING THE WHEEL at speeds over 12 mph. A closed mind gathers no thoughts.
2. Nobody learned anything from the AM stereo debacle at the FCC.
3. You really think listeners are that engaged, ibquity? They're massively "not hearing" your message.
4. Those who are trying by buying these things find the result "not worthwhile" for one or another reason. (the returned radios)
5. You really can't fool Mother Nature, and radio is a poor place to try.
P
ponderosaAZ
Guest
just got one the other day for $43 at Best Buys, it is the XDR-S3HD model. I've never owned an HD radio so I can't compare against any other HD's. it has bass and treble controls but unfortunately no middle level control for vocals I'm looking fwd. to learning more about HD by using the radio and reading the posts here
ponderosaAZ said:
HD or not, it is a very good radio for $43. Somebody is taking quite a bath in the process. Back in my retail days, I was a Sony dealer. Their profit margin was a lot less than average. The good news was the Sony name sold the product, and you did not usually have to discount it very much. I know that Best Buy gets a much better deal from Sony than Mom & Pop retailers, but I'll bet somebody is losing at least $100 on each HD radio sold. I guess they are going to make it up on volume...
KB1OKL said:
It is a very selective FM radio. I can't say I'm impressed with the AM, but it certainly worth $43.00. I think you will like it just as a "radio," especially when connected to an outdoor FM antenna. I suspect it uses the same Texas Instruments DSP processing as the Sangean HDT-1. I haven't popped the cover to find out, but I don't believe there are a lot of choices at this point.
One thing that bothers me is the huge "lump in the line" power supply. This thing must use as much electricity as a big honkin' tube type radio. It probably uses some power, even when it is off. The large power supply and loop antenna are very hard to hide in a typical bedside table environment. Since it has an alarm clock function, I'm guessing that is the intended place for this thing.
Chuck said:
Honestly Chuck, I've had the Receptor plugged in for over a year and a half, the Sangean for about a year and the Sony Tuner for about a month and haven't noticed a rise in my electric bill. Don't let a large transformer in a power cord fool you into thinking that the radio is a power hog. You want to see a power hog, look at the new large screen television monitors or your computer.
Chuck said:
I guess I'll stick with my overpriced Bose Wave Radio, it's AM section is terrible like most today and the FM is not so sensitive but hey I paid 500 bucks for it 6 years ago and I'm going to get my money's worth. I'll have fun with my Meduci when it arrives anyway. I stopped at a Rat Shack in a fruitless search for numbered tags for wires tonight and I asked him if they had any HD radios, he said they never carried them and I said well, that's alright I don't want to buy one anyway, I've heard they were real lead balloons and he smiled a knowing smile but did say that Rat Shack carried them some place in the area.
I have some Hammarlund SP-600 tube radios with 20 tubes in them and they only use 130 watts max. R-390A's use 185 watts max I think. RF probably knows these radios. I never noticed any appreciable rise in my electric bill either. I've heard even those new chips are real power hogs though.
R.F. Burns said:
In the great scheme of things, the power consumption is a drop in the bucket. I have one of the "Kill-A-Watt" power meters sitting around here somewhere. If I get really bored one day, I might plug it in to see the current draw. The bigger issue is placing the power supply and loop antenna somewhere where they aren’t an eyesore. If you want the AM to work, the antenna has to be located away from the radio due to self-interference issues. The power supply and the associated cables are in issue with my wife, who thinks they are ugly. There isn't much I can do about that, except to put the old analog BA receptor back in the bedroom.
hipporadio said:
Okay, I've been out of the HD forum loop for a while - Sony is still marketing an AM stereo radio to consumers? ??? I'd kill to get a new one (even though there are no AM stations-much less AM stereo stations-within ~35 miles).
I got to play with the little Sony tabletop radio at a Best Buy in Memphis - it had a longwire antenna hooked up but that was rolled into a bundle. Being within 5 air miles of all the major local stations, it actually did a decent (not great) job of snagging and holding the HD. I was more impressed with the RDS which worked fast. It even had something hooked up to the AM side (the loop) and it got a few local AMs; the two in HD in Memphis weren't strong enough to decode, however. You'd think with 50,000 watts ND from 13 miles out it would've decoded at least a smidgeon of digital - the analog signal was actually pretty decent. :
Still, if I could get it for under $60, it'd be worth it for the gadget appeal.
If this Sony HD radio is the XDR-3SHD, I just picked one up (a floor model) at a local Circuit City for $99. I find its FM selectivity to be excellent. Its AM performance appears to be better than my Sangean HDT-1x though the AM HD doesn't lock in even with the lttle AM loop next to my Select-a-Tenna.
Zach said:hipporadio said:
Okay, I've been out of the HD forum loop for a while - Sony is still marketing an AM stereo radio to consumers? ??? I'd kill to get a new one (even though there are no AM stations-much less AM stereo stations-within ~35 miles).
I got to play with the little Sony tabletop radio at a Best Buy in Memphis - it had a longwire antenna hooked up but that was rolled into a bundle. Being within 5 air miles of all the major local stations, it actually did a decent (not great) job of snagging and holding the HD. I was more impressed with the RDS which worked fast. It even had something hooked up to the AM side (the loop) and it got a few local AMs; the two in HD in Memphis weren't strong enough to decode, however. You'd think with 50,000 watts ND from 13 miles out it would've decoded at least a smidgeon of digital - the analog signal was actually pretty decent. :
Still, if I could get it for under $60, it'd be worth it for the gadget appeal.
Meduci sells them, I just got one but am waiting for a loop antenna for it, the ones I have are just way too big. I don't have any stereo AM stations close by either which is why I'm looking for a good directional tunable loop that's not 4' in diameter like the one I have now.
K
Kelly
Guest
Re: Insignia bookshelf HD Radio at Best Buy
Chad,
If the tabletop radio has the same guts as the Insignia car receiver I recently purchased, I believe you'll find it to be excellent. That is, on the FM-HD side. The one in one of my cars works amazingly well for $119.
If you buy it, please report back with your impressions!
Chad-Stevens said:
Chad,
If the tabletop radio has the same guts as the Insignia car receiver I recently purchased, I believe you'll find it to be excellent. That is, on the FM-HD side. The one in one of my cars works amazingly well for $119.
If you buy it, please report back with your impressions!
KB1OKL said:Zach said:hipporadio said:
Okay, I've been out of the HD forum loop for a while - Sony is still marketing an AM stereo radio to consumers? ??? I'd kill to get a new one (even though there are no AM stations-much less AM stereo stations-within ~35 miles).
I got to play with the little Sony tabletop radio at a Best Buy in Memphis - it had a longwire antenna hooked up but that was rolled into a bundle. Being within 5 air miles of all the major local stations, it actually did a decent (not great) job of snagging and holding the HD. I was more impressed with the RDS which worked fast. It even had something hooked up to the AM side (the loop) and it got a few local AMs; the two in HD in Memphis weren't strong enough to decode, however. You'd think with 50,000 watts ND from 13 miles out it would've decoded at least a smidgeon of digital - the analog signal was actually pretty decent. :
Still, if I could get it for under $60, it'd be worth it for the gadget appeal.
Meduci sells them, I just got one but am waiting for a loop antenna for it, the ones I have are just way too big. I don't have any stereo AM stations close by either which is why I'm looking for a good directional tunable loop that's not 4' in diameter like the one I have now.
I doubt there are any AM stereo stations around me now, but I'd still like to have one. There's only 1 HD station in the region, and I'm just outside their 60dBu contour according to the FCC maps, doubt I'd get a lock on that, either.
M
Mike Walker
Guest
You might be surprised where FM HD "locks on" IF you take the time to hook up a good antenna. About AM stereo, I'd encourage AM stations with AM stereo exciters sitting unused to take another look at it. There are tons of new HD Radios hitting the market, from major manufacturers, affordable (under a hundred dollars...sometimes much less) to expensive (thousands for high end tuners, hundreds for HD equipped home theater receivers), and the vast majority receive AM Stereo. If you have the exciter already, it's a no-brainer to "light up" these new radios which are (finally...only two decades too late) widely available.
"Widely available?" Mike, I respectfully disagree. Where are HD radios easily found at retail? On the planet Zembar?
With about five minutes to kill before a movie this past weekend, I dropped into the neighboring Radio Slack. No Accurians, of course, were on display, but I prevailed on the manager to do a quick online search. Curiously no other Rochester Shacks had any HD Radios in stock except for one in a western suburb, which had about seven (??)
Maybe some kind of interstore stock swap was going on and the Ridgemont guy lost a big bet or the other managers have got pictures of him in a motel room with a goat. Or something.
With about five minutes to kill before a movie this past weekend, I dropped into the neighboring Radio Slack. No Accurians, of course, were on display, but I prevailed on the manager to do a quick online search. Curiously no other Rochester Shacks had any HD Radios in stock except for one in a western suburb, which had about seven (??)
Maybe some kind of interstore stock swap was going on and the Ridgemont guy lost a big bet or the other managers have got pictures of him in a motel room with a goat. Or something.
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